Car-dumping machine



"prf24, v1923.

M. D. JONES CAR DUMPING MACHINE Filed Oct. 20, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Chlo: um):

Apr. 24, 1923'.

Wl. D. JONES CAR DUMPING MACHINE Filed O Ct. 2C, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

uiTED STATES HILTON' DAYID JONES, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

cAn-DUMHNG MACHINE.

Application led' October 20, 1921.

To all lwhom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, MILTON D. JoNps, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have -invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Dump ing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactv description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which 1t appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car dumping machines of the type wherein the car is clamped within a cylinder adaptcd to be rotated or turned to dump the con-` tents of the car, the primary object being to provide improved means for clamping the car within the cylinder and improved means for actuating the clamps.

With this and other objects in -view my invention consists in thel parts and combination of parts and in certain details of construction as will be more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a. view in section, partly diagrammatic showing the cylinder, the car therein, and the clamps in their raised position; Figure 2 is a similar view showing the cylinder rotated to dumping position and the car clamped therein; Figure 3 is a view in plan of the apparatus the car being omitted; Figure 4 is an end view of the apparatus showing the cylinder carrying means and the mechanism for rotating the same; Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 3 and Figure 6 is a view of one set of clamp chain operating levers.

The cylinder is of a size to receive the largest size standard cars of the type used for transporting coal, ore, etc., and is mounted to revolve or turn on the rollers 11 carried by the compensating or rocking frames 12 journalled to suitable base members 13 carried on the piers 14. The cylinder 10 is preferably of skeleton construction so as to permit the contents of the car 15 to be readily discharged therefrom when the cylinder is turned to the position shownin Figure 2, and is provided internally at one side with the upright apron or partition 16 against which the car gravitates as the cylinder is turned to its dumping position. the apron or partition 16 being braced by the girders 17, which as shown in Figures 1 and 2, are also Serial No. 508,950.

within the cylinder and form a part of the latter.

Secured to the inner face of this apron or partition are the clamp guides in which the clamps slide. In the drawings' I have shown four clamps, but it'will be understood that the number employed is not material.

Each clamp is composed of a sliding member 19 mounted in a guideway 18, and a clamping arm 20 pivoted to the upper end ofthe slidin member 19 and free at its other end. he sliding member of each clamp is provided adjacent its upper end with a shoulder 21 adapted to engage the top edge of the adjacent side of the body of car 15,and the clamping arm 20 is sufficiently long to rest on the opposite top edge of the car body as shown in Figure 2.

Located within the cylinder 10 is the laterally movable track platform 21, preferably inclined on its underside and mounted on the rollers 22 which are preferably located within the cylinder in different planes as shown in Figure 1,',s0 that when the cylinder is in its normal position, or in the position to receive a car, the track platform will have gravitated or moved away from the clamps, and as the'cylinder is turned to its dumping position, the said platform and car thereon will gravitate laterally toward the clamps, and the body of the car will rest against and be supported by suitable abutments on the partition 16, or it may bear against the outer free side edges of the clamp guides.

Secured to brackets 23 adjacent'the bottom of the cylinder are the chains 24, one for each clamp. These chains pass upwardly through or atl the side of the sliding members 19 of the clamps, over the sheaves 24 in the latter, and thence between the guide sheaves 25 at the outer free end of each clampingarm 20. Each of said chains 24 is secured at its upper end to a rope or cable 211b which passes over sheaves 26 and 27, down and under sheave 28 on counterweight 29, up over sheaves 27 and 26a thence down at the opposite side of the cylinder and car therein, around deflector plates or blocks 30 and 31 adjacent the lower edge of the cylinder and are securedto a bracket or cleat 32 fixed to the cylinder, preferably in a plane above bracket 23, as shown in Figure 1.

The sheaves 26--27-26a and 27a are jour# nalled on the top of a frame or support 29 llt) n located at one end of the cylinder and projecting above and over the same so that said sheaves will be in a plane above the top of the cylinder 10.

Journalled in the cylinder opposite the dumping side of the latter, is a series ot' shafts 33, one for each clamp, each shaft carrying one long lever 34 and a shorter lever Each lever 34 is provided at its free end with a roller 36, adapted to contact with and normally rest against the inclined face of the fixed abutment 37, which is independent of the cylinder, and each shorter lever is connected at one end to one end ol' a chain 38, which passes under sheaves 39 journaled to bearings carried by the cylinder adjacent the bottom thereof, and up and around the smaller drum 40. Each drum 40 'is fixed to a larger drum 41, the two drums 40 and 41 of each unit forming a compound drum which actuates one clamp.

Secured to and wound on the larger drum 41 is a chain 42 the free end of which is secured to the slidingmmember 19 of a clamp adjacent the lower end'pf the latter.

From the foregoing it will be seen that as the chain 38 is wound on its drum 4() the chain 42 will unwind from its drum, and when chain 42 is winding on its drum chain 38 will be unwinding.

The cylinder 10 isprovided at each end with a grooved ring shaped member 43,-corresponding in shape and size to the cylinder so as to provide ample clearance for the free passage of cars into and out of the cylinder. These grooved or ring shaped members., form in effect large sheaves around which the cylinder rotating ropes, chains, or cables 44 pass, these ropes, chains or cables being connected with drums 45 actuated by a motor 4G carried by the frame 2W. 'lhe armature shaft of the motor carries a pinion 47 which meshes with gear wheel 43 on shaft 49, which latter carries the drums 45 for the ropes 44 which as before explained are for rotating the cylinder '10.

The track platform 2l is normally in line with the trackway leading to the rotary dumper so that a loaded car may be readily moved into and the empty car moved out of the cylinder.

In the operation of the apparatus, a loaded car 15 is entered into the rotating cylinder, and as the latter starts to rotate in the direction of the arrow, the rollers 36 on the levers 34 follow the contour of the inclined face of the fixed abutment, 37, and acting through the shorter lever 35, cable 38. compound drums 40-41 and chain 42, hold the clamps 19-20 in an elevated position a sufficient length of time to allow the car platform 21 and the car 15 thereon to shift laterally by gravity until the car body is supported against the clamp guides or other abutments on the partition 16. The levers 34 and 35, the cables or chains 3S, compound drums -10--41 and cables or chains 42, normally hohl the clamps in their elevated position as shown in Figure 1, but as the cylinder continues to revolve, the rollers 36 on clamp actuating levers 34 pass onto the top or horizontal face of the abutlnents 37 and finally leave the same, thus freeing the clamps 19 and 20 and permitting them to drop by gravity and the pressure of chains 24 against the f-ree ends of the clamping members. until the shoulders 21a thereof rest on the top edge of the body of the car. As

the rotary motion from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 2 continues, the pressure of the Chain 24 carrying the tounterweight 29, acting on the free end of clamping member 2() of the clamp, carries the latter into contact with the outer top edge of the car and holds it there during the dumping operation and until the cylinder approaches its normal position, during which movement the pull on the chains 24 gradually elevate the clamping members 2() until the latter are free of the car.

As the cylinder approaches its normal po` siton, or its position shown in Figure 1, the roller 36 on levers 34. come in contact with the abutment 37 and acting through the short-er levers 35, chains or cables 38, and compound drums 40, 41, turns the latter in a direction to wind up the chain 42 and thus elevate the clamps above the top of the car.

As the cylinder reaches its normal position the car platform with the car thereon slides on the supporting rolls 22 away from the clamps, thus freeing the car and permitting it to be withdrawn at one end and a loaded car introduced at the opposite end.

As the cylinder is rotated in a direction to dump the contents of the car, the clamping members 20` will` by reason of downward movement of the clamps and their contact with the chains 24 supporting the counterweights 29. gradually approach the top ot' the car` and by or before the latter has been turned ninety degrees. the said clan'iping members will have assumed the position shown in Figure 2 and support the car in its partly inverted position, the counterweights taking the weight of the car.

The advantage of this clamping system is, that, as both ends of the counterweights supporting ropes, cables. or chains are secured to the cylinder, it follows that as the cylinder is rotated, one end of each chain, rope or cable is taken up or is wound on its supports and the other ends pay out, thus causing but little vertical movement of the counterweights. When the cylinder is rotated in the reverse direction, the free ends of the movable clamping members 20 are first raised by their engagement with the chain 24 and as the roller 36 on the clamp lifting levers 24 contact with the lll) fixed abutments 37, the compound drums 40 and 41 willfafs previously explained, be

' body, means for automatically elevating the clamps as the cylinder approaches itsnormal tti sidered to be equivalents, hence I would have it understood that I do not confine the invention to the details shown and specifically. described.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by\ Letters-Patent, is

1. In a car dumpingv apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, means for turning the same, gravity clamps carried by the cylinder, each clamp having la shoulder to overlap the top edge of one side of the car position, automatically operating' means for locking the clamps in their lowered position while the cylinder is turned to a position to dump the car and means for shifting the car laterally away from the clamp as the cylinder is turned to itsnormal position after having dumped theload.

`2. In a car dumping apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, means for turning the same, clamps carried by the cylinder and adapted to move to clamping position by gravity, weighted ropes connected vwith t-he clamps and vweights suspended` on said ropes for moving the clamps to their clamping positions and holding them in contact with the car, and automatically operating means for elevating the clamps and releasing the car as the cylinder approaches its normal position.

3. In car dumping apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, means for turning the same, a series of clamps, each clamp having a hinged member adapted vto be moved to engage the top edge of a car, cables connected` at their ends to the cylinder, a weight suspended from each cable, leach cable engaging the hinged member of its respective y clamp for moving the same to its clamping and releasing positions and automatically operating means for lifting the clamps as the cylinder is moved to its normal position.

4. In car dump-ing apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, means for turning the same, a series4 of two-part clamps, one part of each clamp adapted to slide in guides on the cylinder and at one side of the car therein, and the other part of each being hinged to its sliding part and adapted to engage thetop edge of the car, a cable for normally holding each hinged member of the clamps in elevated or open position and for closing the same down onto the car, each cable being connected A,at its ends to the cylinder, a weight suspended from each cylinder as the cy inder is turned to dump the contents of the car,and means operating automatically to lift the clamps as the cylinder approaches its normal position.

5. In car dumping apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, means for turning'the same, clamps carried by the cylinderand adapted to drop to locking position by gravity, cables for holdinlg the .clamps in their locking positions w en the cylinder is turned to dum a car, the said cables being connected at t eir ends to the cylinder, a weight on each cable, and automatically koperated -means for restoring the clamps .to their' normal or open position as the cyllnder approaches its normal position.

6. In car dumping apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, ailaterallyl movable .track therein, gravity clainps to engage the top of a car for clamping 1t against movement, cables engaging the clamps for normally' holding the same in open position and Jfor holding them againstthe top of thc car when the cylinder is turned to dumping position, the said cables being connected at each end to the cylinder, a weight suspended on each cable, and automatically operating devices for lifting the clamps as the cylinder approaches its normal position after dumping a car.

7. In a car dumper, the combination of a cylinder, means for rotating or turning same, two-part clamps carried by the'- cylinder, one part of each clamp sliding in guides and the other part hinged to the sliding part, a cable secured at its two ends to the cylinder and separated to permit the car to enter between them, sheaves located in a plane above the car and carrying said cables, a weight carried by the loop of each cable, one part or member of each cable engaging the hinged member of a clamp and operating to move the same to closed position as the cylinder is turned to dump its load and lift said hinged member as the cylinder returns to normal position andv automatically operating means for elevating the clamps as the cylinder moves to its normal position.

8. In a car dumper, the combination of a cylinder, means for turning the same, two part clamps adapted to drop by gravity, one part of each clamp having a sliding movement in a guide carried by the cylinder and the other part hinged to the sliding part, counterweighted cablesv for holding the hinged 4part in contact with the top of the car when the latter is in dumping position,

a drum for each clamp, a connection between each drum and a clamp, an actuating lever which is engaged by an abutment during the return movement of the cylinder, and a' liexible connection between the drum and lever whereby .the drum will be turned in a direction to elevate its clamp as the cylinder approaches its normal condition.

t). ln a rotary car damper, the combination ot a cylinder. a series of gravity clamps therein. cach clamp havinfr a part hinged to the other part, the hinge part adapted to engage the top of the car and hold the latter against movement during the dumping operation. a cable secured at its ends to the cylinder and carried over sheaves, and a weight in the loop of each cable, one member of each cable engaging the hinged part of a clamp for holding the same against the top of a car during the dumping movement of the latter.

10. In a rotary car damper, the combination of a cylinder, a. series of gravity clamps each composed of a sliding member and a hinged member the latter adapted to engage the top ot' a car, a cable. for each clamp. each cable being secured at its ends 1o the cylinder, passing over sheaves on a fixed frame and carrying a counterweight at its looped portion, one part of each of `said cables engaging Ithe hinged member of its clamp for normally holding the same in open` position and for closing it down on thetop ot' the car during the dumping 0peration, and means for positively elevating the clamps during the return movement of the cylinder.

11A. In a rotary car damper, the combina.- tion of a cylinder, means for rotating the same. aseries of gravity clamps each composed of a sliding member and a member hinged to the upper end of said sliding membera cable for each clamp, eac-h cable attached at its two ends to said cylinder and passing up at opposite sides of the car, sheaves supporting said cables inl a plane above the car, a counterweight carried in the loop of each cable, the hinged member of each clamp having connection with its respective cable whereby it is held in open position when the cylinder is in its normal position and which operates to close said hinged member down onto the top of they car as the cylinder is rotated to dump the car, and means, automatically operated for positively lifting the clamps as the cylinder approaches its normal position.

12. In a rotary car dumping apparatus, the combination of a. cylinder, means for rotating the same, a series of gravity clamps adapted to engage the car. and hold same while its contents are being dumped, a chain for each clamp, each chain being connected at its ends to the cylinder', a weight suspended from each chain, and automatically operated means for lifting said clamps as the cylinder resumes its normal |position. A

13. In a rotary Icar dumplng apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, means i'or rotating the same. gravity 'clamps each having a hinged member to engage the top of the car, cables for normally holding said hinged members away from the car when the cylinder is in its normal position and for holding itagainst the top ot' the car while the car is tilted, a weight suspended from each cable. and automatically actuated means for positively lifting the clamps to disengage the car as the cylinder. returns to its normal position. g

4In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MILTON DAVID JONES.

Iitnesses I. BACHMANN, LLoYn E. MILLER. 

